[BCEL-25] Repository.instanceOf() can throw NullPointerException

• Type: Bug
• Status: Resolved
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Fix Version/s: 5.2
• Component/s: Main
• External issue URL: https://issues.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=19476
• External issue ID: 19476
• Assignee: Apache Commons Developers
• Reporter: David Hovemeyer
• Created: 30/Apr/03 13:47
• Updated: 24/Apr/14 12:13
• Resolved: 28/Feb/05 19:18

Description

org.apache.bcel.Repository.instanceOf(JavaClass clazz, JavaClass super_class)
can throw NullPointerException. Here's how:

1. instanceOf(String, String) is called

2. it calls lookupClass(String) using "clazz" as a parameter

3. in lookupClass(String), the inner _repository object throws a
ClassNotFoundException, so lookupClass() returns null

4. instanceOf(String, String) calls instanceOf(JavaClass, JavaClass) with the
first parameter null

5. instanceOf(JavaClass, JavaClass) invokes instanceOf(JavaClass) on its first
parameter, resulting in a NullPointerException